Collapsible booth



Sept. 14, 1965 i M. ACHNER COLLAPSIBLE BOOTH Filed Feb. 5, 1963 INVENTOR. MAPT/N A CH/VEQ A7 TOPN /5 United States Patent 4 Claims. 61. 128-374) The invention relates to a collapsible perspiration booth.

In the provision of such a perspiration booth wherein the heat source, preferably an electric heater, is arranged within same, it is desirable to use the produced heat as much as possible for the benefit of the human body. Difficulties arise, however, because the walls of the booth should on the one hand be very flexible and on the other hand be as well insulated as possible.

An attempt has been made in the production of walls for perspiration booths to arrange flexibly connected vertical slats or battens side by side with respect to each other and to adhesively fasten upon each of them a panel of insulating material, such as cardboard or other flexible fiberboard as shown in United States Patent to Achner, No. 2,655,155. In addition, on that side of the insulation material turned toward the interior of the booth previous practice has sometimes placed a thin metal layer in order to reflect the heat rays. Further, the vertical bars were often of wood and of a U-shape, the free ends of the U-shaped bars being fastened to the insulation material. Thus there were provided vertical hollow spaces, which by the association of the insulation material and the vertical wood strips were intended to reduce the heat passage.

It was found, however, that this construction is relatively heavy and bulky, since the wooden slats must be of a certain minimum thickness to meet inevitable thermal and mechanical strains and because the flexible sheets used for insulation purposes also have a considerable weight of their own so that the resulting cellular units could not be rolled up tightly, especially since a relatively great wall-thickness was the result.

An additional disadvantage of this construction arises from the fact that the vertical hollow spaces had a relatively large cross-sectional area or at least were very broad. For this reason there occurred within the hollow spaces a convectional circulation which caused a more rapid loss of heat. If a larger number of U-shaped wood battens of narrower width would be used, no better insulation would be obtained since the sum of the side spaces grows in proportion to the sum of the air space surfaces,

so that the total of heat conductors would be increased.

Also the wall would become still heavier and more expensive.

Another construction, also previously tried, has failed to eliminate these difliculties. In this case the cellular wall units consisted of two panels of insulation material made of flexible fibrous sheets between which vertical spacers were attached. However, it is even more difficult to roll these walls together than the ones described above, because of the spacers arranged parallel at a distance from each other. Broad intervals between the spacers are necessary to make possible any rolling at all whereby the convection currents in these intervals are consequently even greater than in the case of the walls described above.

For these reasons, the attempts to eliminate the difiiculties resulting from a perspiration booth Wall constructed in cellular form were given up and a wall was constructed with heavy wood slats which were glued upon a textile layer provided with a thin metal surface. Not only did this construction result in heat losses, but it also had the disadvantage of great weight.

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Therefore, it is the purpose of the present invention to construct a perspiration booth wherein the disadvantages outlined above are largely eliminated.

The invention endeavors to solve the problem by constructing a perspiration booth whose wall consists of vertical slats arranged tightly beside each other and adhesively fastened on a flexible layer facing toward the interior of the booth, which layer carries a very thin metal lining, with vertical spaces being provided in the vertical slats.

According to the invention the construction of this perspiration booth is accomplished by having the booth wall consist of tubular members of plastic, whereby there are provided hollow spaces extending in the lengthwise direction of the members, which hollow spaces are completely enclosed by the plastic walls of the members and which have a flat, closed surface facing the interior of the booth.

The use of such plastic hollow profiles makes it possible to keep the wall thickness of the hollow slats considerably lower than would be the case in wood members. The total surface of heat-conducting intervals functioning as heat bridges is also reduced. In spite of the approximately equal widths and number of slats per wall, vertical hollow spaces are created of which each has a considerably smaller cross-sectional area than in the case of the previously known walls with U-shaped wood members. Also such area can be reduced still further by an increase in the number of transverse bridges. Thus the convection currents in the insulation spaces are stopped and the heat insulation as a consequence greatly increased. Because of the closed side of the slats lying fiat with relation to the inside of the booth, a greater surface is provided for the adhering of the slats on the flexible layer, in spite of the small width of the slats. The solidity of the total arrangement is greatly increased as compared to the walls with a U-shaped cross section, in whose case only the edge surfaces of the U-sides were adhesively fastened.

Because of the considerably larger insulative capacity of the vertical slats, we find after an additional step in the invention that the insulation layer present in the cellular construction of known booth walls can be eliminated. On the other hand a thin tear-proof film or a tearproof tissue can be used as a support for the vertical slats in place of the previously used insulation layer of cardboard or other flexible fibrous sheet. This results in a considerable reduction of material and weight requirements and a considerably better rollability of the wall.

In order to stop the convection of the air even more securely and also to protect the lower and upper edges of the wall better against tearing, channel-shaped, flexible but solid, plastic end closures can be pushed from below and/ or above upon the wall edges and adhesively fastened onto them. Thus the vertical hollow spaces can be closed off completely.

In order to provide a good closure on the upper edge of the wall for attaching the upper cover of the booth, the channel-shaped end closure can be constructed with its upper surface arched upwardly lover a resiliently flexible reinforcing member.

An additional advantage of the construction accordinng to the present invention is derived from the fact that the plastic vertical members do not pull out of shape or spring because of moisture and heat, as happens easily in the case of the corresponding wooden members. Also it is no longer necessary to apply a special lacquer.

Furthermore, plastic hollow units are inexpensively manufactured since they can be produced by the extrusion process.

It should also be stated that the fears of experts that the plastic hollow members would be damaged or destroyed by heat did not materialize. It was shown that the thin reflection layer keeps the heat radiation completely away from the plastic members. The heat capacity of such a thin metal reflection layer is so small, on the other hand, that the heat contained within same does not result in any damage to the plastic hollow members.

The drawing shows the inventive idea by means of a preferred embodiment.

FIGURE 1 shows the perspiration booth in a vertical section.

FIGURE 2 shows a part of the booth wall in a horizontal section taken on the line II-II of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 shows a vertical section through the upper part of the wall taken on the line IIIIII of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 4 shows a cross section through a vertical member with bridges of a modified construction.

FIGURE 5 shows a top view of one form of the device.

The vertical plastic members I of the wall are attached by suitable adhering means, as gluing or welding, w th their respective flat sides 2 on a flexible carrier 3 cons sting of a plastic film or a thin solid tissue. That side of the carrier material turned toward the interior of the booth is in a known manner lined with an extremely thin metal layer 4, which by itself or together with the carrier material may be provided with a pattern imprint serving for the purpose of achieving a diffuse reflection of the heat rays. The flat surfaces 2 of the members 1 are each joined by an arched outside wall 5. Walls 2 and 5 are connected with each other by bridges 12 and 13, so that vertical hollow spaces 14, 15 and 16 are produced in every member of this construction example, of which each has such a small cross section that because of the wall friction no appreciable circulation of air can take place. In order to avoid an upward flow of the air heated in the hollow spaces, the walls are closed at the top by a channelshaped, solid, but sufliciently flexible plastic edge cap l0, which is adhesively fastened, as by gluing or welding (FIGURE 3) to the side wall. The top side of the edge cap is provided toward the outside with arch 11 in order to assume a linear and thus very level top surface for tight engagement by the upper cover 17 of the booth, which is supported upon the side wall.

correspondingly if desired, the lower edge of the wall can be provided with a channel-shaped closure (not shown).

The edge cap simultaneously prevents the tearing of thin carrier material 3 whose mechanical strain is greatest between the ridges in the region of the upper and lower edge of the wall.

FIGURE 4 shows another cross section for the vertical members. By arranging four bridges 6, 7, 8 and 9 vertical to the flat side 2 of the profile, five cells are produced. In this example, as well as in the example according to FIGURE 2, the rigidity of the vertical members 1 is considerably increased by the bridges.

Thus only very low wall thicknesses need be utilized in the vertical members. This means that only very narow, long heat bridges come into being so that th h t conductivity of the vertical members is very low. A considerable saving in heat because of the better insulation is the result. Also it takes considerably less time to heat the space of the booth, because of the minimizing of the heat losses.

As can be seen from FIGURE 3, it is possible to embed in the channel-shaped plastic member 10 a resilient element 18 extending over its length, for instance in the shape of a stetfl spflng r of a spring wire. Thus the member q res a sufficient bending rigidity, so that this relatlvely thll'l a ier material 3 is less strained and any 322 if breakmg is nat d: In addition irregulariin t e members 10 are avoided when the PBISPlIa- 4 tion booth is changed from a rolled up state into a circular one.

The wall can be rolled into a roll of relatively small diameter. The carrier 3 can bend at the zones between adjacent vertical members 1 in order to make it possible to roll up the wall. The edge caps 10 are sufficiently flexible that they do not interfere with the rolling up or unrolling of the wall.

Accordingly, such variations will be recognized as Within the scope of the hereinafter appended claims, excepting as said claims specifically require otherwise.

What is claimed is:

1. A side wall structure for a collapsible booth comprising:

a flexible sheet member having a thin, reflective metal film secured on the inner side thereof for reflecting heat;

a plurality of elongated, tubular and plastic members secured in side-by-side relation to the outer side of said sheet member and extending vertically from substantially the bottom edge to substantially the top edge thereof, each of said tubular members being of constant cross-sectional configuration throughout its length, each tubular member having spaced inner and outer walls, said inner wall having a surface bonded over substantially its entire area with the outer side of said sheet member and each tubular member having a plurality of bridging walls, at least one of which is an internal wall, extending between said inner and outer Walls and thereby dividing the interior opening of said tubular member into a plurality of vertically extending, hollow cells of relatively small cross section, said inner, outer and bridging walls being relatively thin, and said tubular members being closely adjacent to and separate from each other to facilitate the rolling up of said side wall structure, and said sheet member and said tubular members being adapted to form a wall structure having a substantially cylindrical shape.

2. A collapsible booth including a wall structure according to claim 1, wherein said wall structure is substantially arranged in said cylindrical shape and wherein a flexible panel having a central opening is supported upon the upper end of said wall structure when it is arranged in said shape.

3. wall structure for a collapsible booth according to claim 1, wherein at least one edge of said wall structure, which is adjacent one open end of each of said tubular members, is covered by a channel-shaped closure member of resilient material which can flex with the wall structure and which protects the adjacent edge of the sheet member.

4. wall structure for a collapsible booth according to claim 3 (including an elongated, resiliently flexible metal element embedded in said closure member and eX- tending lengthwise therealong.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,445,290 7/48 Gouda 16l139 2,655,155 10/53 Achner 128 374 2,661,117 12/53 Wallenbrock et al. 220-9 2,746,103 5/56 Bright 2069 2,833,003 5/58 Bourne et a1. 20-15 2,855,636 10/58 Donnelly 20-4 FOREIGN PATENTS 607,213 8/48 Great Britain. 1,040,141 5/53 France.

825,306 9/53 Germany.

FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner. JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Examiner. 

1. A SIDE WALL STRUCTURE FOR A COLLAPSIBLE BOOTH COMPRISING: A FLEXIBLE SHEET MEMBER HAVING A THIN, REFLECTIVE METAL FILM SECURED ON THE INNER SIDE THEREOF FOR REFLECTING HEAT; A PLURALITY OF ELONGATED, TUBULAR AND PLASTIC MEMBERS SECURED IN SIDE-BY-SIDE RELATION TO THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID SHEET MEMBER AND EXTENDING VERTICALLY FROM SUBSTANTIALLY THE BOTTOM EDGE TO SUBSTANTIALLY THE TOP EDGE THEREOF, EACH OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING OF CONSTANT CROSS-SECTIONAL CONFIGURATION THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, EACH TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING SPACED INNER AND OUTER WALLS, SAID INNER WALL HAVING A SURFACE BONDED OVER SUBSTANTIALLY ITS ENTIRE AREA WITH THE OUTER SIDE OF SAID SHEET MEMBER AND EACH TUBULAR MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF BRIDGING WALLS, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH IS AN INTERNAL WALL, EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID INNER AND OUTER WALLS AND THEREBY DIVIDING THE INTERIOR OPENING OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBER INTO A PLURALITY OF VERTICALLY EXTENDING, HOLLOW CELLS OF RELATIVELY SMALL CROSS SECTION, SAID INNER, OUTER AND BRIDGING WALLS BEING RELATIVELY THIN, AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING CLOSELY ADJACENT TO AND SEPARATE FROM EACH OTHER TO FACILITATE THE ROLLING UP OF SAID SIDE WALL STRUCTURE, AND SAID SHEET MEMBER AND SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING ADAPTED TO FORM A WALL STRUCTURE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL SHAPE. 